Just a bit of bloggy business, folks…folk…all two of you?  Ha!  I like to kid myself.  

I wanted to update my blogroll because it was seriously outdated.  It soon became apparent that the list was quite, um, extensive.  Since I am not one for clutter on my computer screen (my husband would bed to differ – oops, beg to differ), I decided to move the entire list to a separate page.  You can find the link at the top of the screen or you can click on the link below for your viewing pleasure.  

Please take no offense if I inadverdantly left you out and please let me know so I can add you in, or if you would like for me to remove your blog please let me know.  (But who doesn’t like lots of comments?  If you say no, we need to have a talk. ) 

Now go read a blog and comment somewhere.  The blogger will love you for it.  Trust me.  

tara (at) outofthevalley (dot) org

Blogroll

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My friend Leslie at Wild Olive Shoot gave me this award – thank you so much, Leslie!  Leslie has been a true blessing to get to know “in real life” and in “bloggy world.”  Her honesty and transparency on her blog is a real blessing to read.  

I’m not sure where the award originated or what its original intentions were for, but from its title – I suppose, honesty?  Part of the rules are to tell you ten things about myself.  How about ten honest scraps of random information?  

I’m so clever.

(This is where you roll your eyes at me and grin.  Or just roll your eyes.)  

1.  I am not fond of the dark.  Nightlights are my friends.  We’re best friends, in fact.

2.  I don’t like hearing my own voice on recordings.

3.  I am a pianist with two degrees in music, but I cannot sing at all.  When I get to Heaven, I am going to sing.  A lot.

4.  You probably already know this, but I hate pickles.  I know hate is strong word.  That is why I am using it.

5.  And no, I did not even eat them when I was pregnant.

6.  Oddly, I like watching humorous, off-beat monster movies.  Think Tremors.  Hilarious.

7.  God has a sense of humor with me.  He makes sure that I do exactly what I said I was not going to do.  And love it, too.

8.  I am stubborn.   (Shhhh, don’t tell Chris I admitted it.)

9.  I like to watch tv crime dramas and then try to figure out who did it before the characters figure it out.  Ah, the challenge of problem solving.  

10.  Chris and I have a line from the movie The Princess Bride inscribed on the inside of our wedding bands.

I’m passing this award on to my friend Becky at Elephant Juice!  We’ve been friends for a long time now and met in South Carolina.  And I love her honesty.  Love ya Becky!

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Many thanks to Liz at A Dusty Frame for this award!  This is the Lemons to Lemonade award.  Here are the details:

Now, the way the “When Life Gives You Lemons, make Lemonade” Award (for short, The Lemonade Award) works is:

1) You must link back to the person you received the award from.

2) You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

Lemons to lemonade…it’s all about giving God the glory, is it not?

Genesis 19:20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 

Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Shouldn’t we all turn every lemon in our lives into lemonade, no matter how small the lemon?  

The biggest lemon in my life, by far, has been postpartum depression.  God has blessed me incedibly through it, as well as taught me and stretched me far beyond my imaginings.   The biggest blessing, however, is being able to minister to other ladies and help them get through what I went through.  You can see my glass of lemonade at Out of the Valley.  

Gosh, I’m so bad at picking people to win an award.  You know, I believe that each and every person has a situation in their lives where they have had a lemon and turned it into lemonade.  So instead, I challenge each of my blog readers (all 10,000 10 of you) to take this award, post it on your blog, tell everyone about a situation (no matter how big or small) where a “lemon” was turned into “lemonade”, how God sustained and helped you through it, and then come back here and link your post in the comments.  

Bold challenge, I know.  I guess I’m feeling bold this morning. Must be the rain and storm outside.  

I do believe it’s all about giving God all the praise and glory for every work He has done in our lives.  I, for one, do not do enough of that acknowledgment.  Thus, I challenge you as much as I challenge myself.

What is your lemon to lemonade story?  I cannot wait to hear it!

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Heather at Madame Rubies tagged me for this one. 

First, the rules:

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Soooo….what do you think?!  How did I do?  I must say that I only had to have Chris fix something ONE TIME.  

That is a record for me.  

Let’s not talk about how long it would take me to figure out how to do one small step.  There were some online video tutorials, a few help files, google and wordpress searches, and many trial and error changes to figure out what was what along the way.   

I think I have a new obsession.

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